Liver May Hold Key to Good Cholesterol

Published Online: Wednesday, June 1, 2005

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A recent study that gene-targeted mice found that good cholesterol
may be generated in the liver. In an effort to find clues to
the rare Tangier disease, in which affected people are unable to
produce high-density lipoprotein (HDL), researchers found that
the liver is the source of 80% of HDL.

Scientists had previously believed that HDL was formed
throughout the body, particularly in the blood vessel walls. This
new finding could lead the way for a variety of drugs to be developed.
Besides Tangier disease, low HDL is associated with a
higher risk of heart attack.